


Ties that bind

by Kira_Gamble



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 5th year, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, No Horcruxes, References to abuse and neglect, references to slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-07
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 13:37:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3136370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_Gamble/pseuds/Kira_Gamble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Godric and Salazar have been hiding in plain sight for most of their lives. Now is the time to take action. The return of the Dark Lord threatens to destroy everything they know, but nobody believes the boy who desperately tries to warn the world. Except for them. The time has come for them to return to Hogwarts, the place where it all started. Takes place during Harry's 5th year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All roads...

**Author's Note:**

> So, first work on this site :-) Let me know what you think please!

1: All roads...

 

The broad shouldered redhead entered the apartment completely silently, feeling the wards tickle at the edge of his magical senses as he carefully pushed the door shut and shrugged out of his jacket. A small smile played at his lips at the sight of the rig and two gun holsters already hanging from the coatrack where one might expect another simple coat, or in a wizard's home most likely robes, and he fingered the weapons reverently before stepping off the mat on socked feet and padding down to the living room. It was the middle of the night, and as he'd suspected, his partner was laying sprawled out on the couch and fast asleep, his long silvery white hair fanned around him in a halo as it was touched by the moonlight coming in from the window. The association between his partner and an angel made him grin ruefully, and he continued to watch the other man's chest rise and fall in sleep in quiet contemplation. He knew that if it had been anyone else that had passed through the wards, he would've had a weapon pointed at him before he could have even gotten this far, but as it was, he could walk in without challenge and after a moment he took the opportunity to slip into the kitchen to make himself a coffee. After today, he sorely needed one.

 

It didn't take long for the sound of the coffee machine to accomplish what he had not, and he looked over his shoulder as the other man joined him in the kitchen. The older man looked haggard, and in pain, and as always he regretted not being able to heal him as he went over to help his partner sit down at the kitchen table, taking mental note of the stiffness with which the other man moved instead of his usual lethal and catlike grace. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he crouched down in front of the chair and the older man caught his breath, taking in the sight of him now that he wasn't keeping up the glamours hiding his true appearance.

 

Muggles tended to react quite negatively to anyone looking as unnatural as Salazar did, which meant he always cast extensive glamours before leaving the house, so he only got to see Salazar like this when they were within the safety of one of their numerous homes or around other wizards. Salazar breathed a short bark of laughter at the familiar question, running a hand through his messy silvery white fringe as he looked up to meet Godric's eyes. Those grey irises tended to unsettle people, their paleness ringed by a darker grey making his gaze almost wolfish, but Godric had long found those eyes to be capable of great warmth. "Better. But you know this." And he did, almost a thousand years of travelling together made you get to know one another pretty well…

 

Nevertheless. "Let me see."

 

Salazar sighed, but obliged by lifting up the tight black tanktop he was wearing, revealing his left side to be covered in bruises and healthy pale skin stretched taut over his abdomen where a few days ago there had been a mess of torn flesh as a particularly bad curse had almost split him clean in half. At those moments, it didn't matter that Salazar was as good as immortal, the pain was still real and undeniable, and magical Healing had never worked on the older wizard, the Healing magic not able to get a hold on his inhuman magic and seeming to slide off of him like oil. Something in the man's Shadow Magic simply rejected conventional Healing spells, but as it was that same Shadow magic that always healed his friend at this insane rate anyway, Godric rarely had reason to complain or even worry. But he still hated seeing the other man in pain, which happened way too often as far as he was concerned.

 

"Does it get your seal of approval?" Salazar asked after long moments as Godric ran his hand along the newly healed skin, prodding carefully, and Godric chuckled at the badly disguised sarcasm sounding through in Salazar's slightly hoarse voice as he nodded before standing. "As always, almost as good as new," he commented as he went to pour them fresh coffee. Behind him, he could hear Salazar shift as he also stood again, relieving some of the pressure off his abdomen that sitting up still caused, and Godric held out a filled mug for the pale wizard to take as he summoned his briefcase wordlessly.

 

The Daily Prophet's front page immediately caught his partner's attention as it flew out of Godric's briefcase at the younger wizard's summons and came to hover in front of him.

 

"I thought we killed him," the pale wizard muttered, rare surprise coloring his voice as he reached out to pluck the paper out of the air. Godric huffed, leaning with his hip against the counter as he slowly worked to undo his tie with one hand as he gestured with the other, his steaming mug charmed against spilling after one too many accidents. "Thought so too.. Apparently not though, if Potter is to be believed. After what happened at our school the past years, I'd expected Dumbledore to have gotten a bit more careful. But clearly I was wrong. A boy died Sal. One of our students died."

 

Salazar remained silent as his eyes scanned the front page, reading the article while Godric watched him, crossing his muscular arms over his chest as Salazar's expression turned blank.

 

"A student died, and we weren't there to protect him. We turned a blind eye Sal, we knew something was off in the energy signature we sensed from England. It was exactly what we had feared, but we did nothing. And now he's back." Salazar put down the paper, sitting down at the edge of the kitchen table, and Godric recognized the suddenly heavy feeling in the air as Salazar concentrated on the weaves of magic that made up the world around them. It was more difficult with them being on another continent, but centuries of experience made up for that as Salazar tapped into the connection with Hogwarts he still shared.

 

It had been almost 50 years since he'd connected with the school they helped found, and the period before that had been even longer, but Godric had agreed with Salazar ages ago that they would not interfere with Wizarding Britain any more than necessary. And when they did, it was always from the shadows, unnoticed, and never with any connection to their names. Nobody knew the real names behind the powers that intervened from time to time.

 

It wouldn't do for the world to know they still lived… Not only for the world, but for themselves. After having lived for as long as they had, being a figurehead wasn't on the agenda. They could work much better if nobody knew they were there. With Godric working on the surface, and Salazar taking care of the things that hid in the dark, they were an unstoppable force, and they did extensive political work.

 

But still, Godric had always felt connected to Hogwarts, the place where it had all began for them. He had made up his mind as soon as he'd let the news sink in, but he needed Salazar to agree with him, needed the older man's cooperation. Returning to Hogwarts meant having to put some of their other activities on hold, and it was hard to throw away years of hard work and intelligence gathered. But the school needed them… and Godric wanted to answer that call… It wasn't often he allowed himself to be selfish.

 

But the only way he would return was if they went together.

 

Salazar released a ragged breath as he drew back into himself, blinking several times to clear his head before shaking it. "Hogwarts is in turmoil… The teachers are completely out of their depth. How is it possible that the Headmaster isn't doing anything to stop this..?" Wizarding Britain was a mess. Godric had a hard time believing how bad it must have gotten over the past years. They had travelled all over the world, and nowhere were magic regulations so extensive and cumbersome as in the UK… Politics dictated everything, and it was frightening how the laws were suffocating the magical populace. The witches and wizards in the UK were painfully cut off and unprepared should they ever be discovered by Muggles, a possibility which was getting more real each and every day.

 

If Muggles found out about the magical populace sharing their cities, all Hell would break loose, and while some countries would be prepared, others would be sorely outclassed. This danger was what he and Salazar were working so hard at to prevent, or at the very least contain by preparing witches and wizards to know what to do in case that happened and to make sure they would be able to defend themselves against the non-magical people they thought to be so powerless.

 

Oh, how wrong they were… This Voldemort was nothing in comparison to the devastation that would happen if the magical world was revealed to the Muggles. But the Dark wizard did increase that chance exponentially, and so he had to be dealt with. The devastation that would be wrought on the wizarding community was unimaginable… they had to do something.

 

But first, Hogwarts… to them, all roads eventually led back to Hogwarts.

 

Their eyes met, and he could clearly read the agreement in Salazar's cool gaze, and some of the tension left his shoulders as the older man nodded. "We should pack, and leave tonight. We'll need time to figure out our best approach, and the summer vacation only lasts a few more weeks," the palehaired wizard said as he stood from where he was sitting on the edge of the table, and Godric smiled in agreement as he also pushed away from the counter. For the first time in a very long time, he actually felt giddy at the thought that finally, he had a reason to go back to their school, and he could see some of that reflected back to him in Salazar's eyes as well.

 

Salazar smirked before turning on his heel and padding to their bedroom, and Godric followed, summoning whatever he wanted to bring with him to him. As they would be Portkeying directly to Hogsmeade, where another of their houses was located, it didn't take long to gather what they needed. Godric didn't need all that much, and most of what Salazar always took with him was always on his person in the first place. They did change into more wizard appropriate clothing though…

 

It wouldn't do for them to be seen in Hogsmeade dressed like Muggles like they were used to, it would draw too much unwanted attention.

 

Although to be honest, Salazar would probably always draw stares without the glamours, and dressed like he was dressing himself now in his custom made battle gear, so unlike the bulky and cumbersome robes most wizards wore, he looked nothing like a usual wizard. His clothes were simple, pants and a Muggle looking shirt allowing for freedom of movement and not interfering with any of his many weapons, all covered by several layers of protective and concealing yet elegant battle robes to hide most of the weapons from view. And Salazar carried himself like he knew how to use the myriad of weapons at his disposal, a strange mix of magical and Muggle weaponry with the two twin swords crossed on his back, the knives, and his two seemingly Muggle guns secured in their holsters at the small of his back.

 

Most wizards wouldn't even recognize guns… which made them all the more dangerous. Most magical shields were keyed into stopping magic, not physical projectiles, and certainly not ones that couldn't even be seen.

 

Salazar had killed powerful wizards without even using his own magic…

 

It was a sobering thought. Magical people had no idea the kind of damage Muggle weaponry could do. And what better way to show them that than at a school?

 

Godric crossed his arms over his chest, his more traditional yet elegant wizarding robes clearly showing him to be wealthy and of pure bloodlines. The irony wasn't lost on him that the one the world believed to be a fanatical bloodpurist was dressed like a Muggle underneath his battle gear, while he himself looked like everything the world expected to see when they thought about Salazar Slytherin.

 

A wry smile twisted his lips at how incorrectly history had depicted them over the years, but there wasn't anything they could do about that without revealing themselves. And Salazar had long since accepted the fact that children were taught that he was an evil Dark wizard who hated Muggleborns…

 

"Godric." Godric started out of his thoughts at Salazar's voice, and his gaze shot up to meet the pale grey eyes of his partner. Salazar looked down at him intently, gaze searching his own before seemingly coming to a conclusion about something as he nodded. "Let's go."


	2. Harry

2\. Harry

 

Their home in Hogsmeade was just as he remembered it, and the redhaired wizard sighed in contentment as he brought the steaming cup of tea to his lips and took a small sip while he browsed through the paper as he lounged on the couch.

 

"The Defence position is still available… it would be an ideal way to reach as many people as possible and still be able to defend the students and Hogwarts at the same time…" Godric mused aloud as he flipped through the job opportunities which were listed at the back of the Daily Prophet. "Perhaps Dumbledore could be persuaded to change it into a dual teaching position."

 

Salazar snorted derisively as he came up behind the younger redhead, reading the small advert in silence before sighing in annoyance and shaking his head. "I'm not safe Godric. If one of the students would accidentally surprise me or startle me…" He didn't finish his sentence, but Godric swallowed at the implication, and the lack of trust Salazar had in himself it showcased. The older man was hard on himself, always had been, but the centuries had left their mark on the other man.

 

It wasn't always enough anymore to handle political issues politely, especially when it came to Muggle politics and the ever growing Dark Wizarding community… and that's where Salazar's talents came in. When Godric had first met Salazar, he had been in his father's 'employ'. His friend had been magically bound to a Muggle king who had used him as his personal assassin, and Salazar had been trained as such by both Muggles and wizards from an impossibly young age. Godric's father had killed the Muggle king, and the magical Contract had automatically transferred to the Gryffindor family without them even realizing what had happened at first, and eventually the Contract had transferred to Godric himself as his father passed away. To this day, Godric had never abused the power the Contract gave him over Salazar, and the younger man knew that was exactly why Salazar trusted him implicitly.

 

He had vowed to never jeopardize that trust.

 

But as it was, Salazar's unique skills had been needed more and more lately, and while he was incredibly good at it, Godric knew it ate at him even though it was all for the greater good. Salazar didn't talk about it, only when Godric asked him to. Over the centuries, Salazar had gotten more indifferent about the killing itself, and Godric had a sharp suspicion that was what actually bothered the older man more than the actual killing itself. It was second nature to him… And while Godric trusted Salazar with his life, he knew Salazar would always be on his toes to prove he was worthy of that trust.

 

It would do the both of them good to take a break, and maybe being at Hogwarts would ease some of the burden. Although they still had to deal with Voldemort, one way or the other. Somehow, that seemed like a less daunting task than all the political posturing and underground assassinations and intimidations at the moment…

 

Godric smiled up at his partner encouragingly, but he knew he wasn't quite successful in keeping the sadness out of his voice as he spoke. "I trust you to be capable of handling it Sal… and I'll still be there, if anything I can Command you to stop. I want to do this, and I think we need the break. You'll do fine, you always enjoyed teaching so much." There was a pleading note to his voice, he knew it but couldn't suppress it even if he had wanted to, and Salazar regarded him coolly for long moments. Those unnatural grey eyes were completely devoid of any emotion and his entire body was still, tensed in readiness, and Godric felt a pang of grief for the other man at the sight of that instinctive reaction. That constant state of hyperawareness and readiness worried Godric more than he cared to admit sometimes.

 

After long moments of simply standing there, body virtually quivering with conflicted emotion, Salazar hissed an angry curse and shook his head as if to clear it. "I can't… I have to think about this." The older man's voice was tight, and Godric barely restrained himself from reaching out to him as he turned around and almost fled the room. The younger man heard the front door slam shut only seconds later, and he released a shaky breath before scrubbing his hand down his face, rubbing his eyes as he turned to look down at the paper still clenched in his other hand.

 

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and he sat there for long minutes before coming to a decision. They would go talk to Harry Potter.. maybe speaking to the Boy Who Lived would be able to convince Salazar that they were sorely needed at Hogwarts now that Voldemort was back.

 

But first he had to figure out where the boy lived…

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Godric stepped back from the door and lowered his hand as he heard the stumbling coming from inside in answer to his knock. It had been disgustingly easy to ascertain the Boy Who Lived's whereabouts, frighteningly so, and Godric had to wonder what Voldemort was thinking. Why not simply bomb the place and be done with it…? Surely, the alleged Blood Magic defending the kid wouldn't be so powerful to be able to stop a direct tactical assault?

 

He schooled his features into a pleasant smile as the door was opened, and he came face to face with Harry Potter himself. It was a struggle to maintain that expression though as he caught sight of the small teen, and he heard Salazar's sharp intake of breath clearly as the boy raised his eyes furtively to address them. "Yeah?"

 

Salazar stepped forward, and Harry's eyes were immediately drawn to him, as his presence demanded attention even with the glamours making him appear like an ordinary, harmless Muggle. It was a mistake to do so, and would have cost the boy dearly if they had had evil intentions, as Godric noted how Salazar immediately delved into the boy's mind without any seeming difficulty. No one had bothered to teach this boy Occlumency…

 

"Let us in."

 

The suggestion was enough, combined with the Legilimency, and without hesitation the Potter boy stepped to the side to let them pass. After a quick sweep with his magic, Godric determined that the house was empty, and he nodded at Salazar in silent communication as he closed the door behind himself. Harry blinked rapidly for a moment, shaking his head, and a hint of panic and fear was obvious in his startling green eyes as he stumbled back, fumbling for a wand he clearly expected to be there but coming up empty handed. "Who- who are you?" the boy bit out angrily once he realized there was nothing he could do to defend himself, and Godric held out his hands in a placating gesture.

 

"My name is Gabriel Winchester, and this is my brother Simon. We just want to talk to you for a moment, if that's okay. Please, we mean you no harm." To his credit, Harry didn't seem convinced at all of their good intentions, and he made to dash for the stairs. He didn't make it half-way upstairs before Salazar caught him, careful not to use magic as it might trip up or activate some of the defensive wards. They didn't want Dumbledore to know anyone had been there.

 

Harry cursed and put up a frantic struggle, and Salazar grunted when one of the kicks connected solidly with his still healing side, but he didn't loosen his grip a fraction as he tried to calm the boy down. Harry was in full panic mode, screaming and pleading in a way that made Godric sick to his stomach with the pain and fear bleeding into the boy's voice. No child should sound like that…. Salazar seemed taken aback as well, and he shifted his hold so that he was holding the boy more securely in a hold that looked suspiciously like an embrace as he started talking softly to the boy. The older wizard's voice was low and hoarse, but clear enough for the boy to hear, and over the course of several minutes, the teen was reduced to a quivering mass in Salazar's arms, sobbing as their position was reversed and it now appeared like the boy was holding onto Salazar instead of the other way around as he seemed to come to the realization that there wouldn't be any kind of attack.

 

Godric swallowed hard. This was not what they had expected to find when seeking out the Boy Who Lived. Dumbledore had clearly not taken his responsibilities seriously when it came to taking care of the kid…

 

This could not go on. Godric would not allow any more bruises to be added to this child's body and mind.

 

"What do we do?" he asked quietly as Salazar looked back at him. Salazar released a slow, steadying breath before muttering something under his breath, and Godric saw the boy's body turn boneless in the older man's arms as he fell into a deep magical sleep. "We set off the wards, tear them down, and then disappear. Dumbledore will come, and he won't be able to leave the kid here without them in place. The protections woven into the wards are laughable Godric, the Blood magic is almost entirely gone, withered away over the years. As far as I can gather, they were supposed to be fueled by love for the boy, which they clearly haven't been… It offers meager protection as it is. The boy will be much safer, and certainly happier, at Hogwarts. I've erased his memories of the past minutes, he won't remember us, he'll just remember getting tired and going to take a nap… We'll get our information at Hogwarts, all this kid needs is to be left alone for a while."

 

Godric let this sink in for a moment before nodding in agreement and he quietly approached Salazar where he still sat halfway up the stairs with the boy cradled in his arms. Carefully, he took the boy from his partner's hold. "Take care of the wards… I'll put him to bed," he suggested, and at Salazar's nod started up the stairs with the teen cradled in his arms, checking some doors until he found what he was looking for. Opening the door to what had to be the boy's bedroom, he was taken aback by the locks on it, and his expression grew sad as he saw what was inside. "Oh Harry…"

 

The room was unkempt and bare, save for some of the kid's meager belongings. There was nothing warm or welcoming in there, save for the caged owl in the corner, and Godric very gently put the boy down on the bed before opening the cage. The owl hooted, but after only a moment of hesitation stepped onto his arm, staring at him with large, calculating eyes. "I mean your human no harm… Someone will take him to Hogwarts soon, so go there if they don't take you, alright?" The owl blinked once as she spread out her wings and soared over to the boy's headboard and landed gracefully, standing quiet vigil as Godric stepped back out. As he set foot into the hallway, he felt the wards collapse onto themselves harmlessly, and he had to admire Salazar's skill as only the wards he wanted to trigger were tripped in the process.

 

Spellweavers were rare. Spellweavers with the sheer amount of power, skill and experience Salazar had… It was a good thing no more of those existed…


	3. Hogwarts

3\. Hogwarts

 

Hogwarts had changed over the centuries, but the essence of the castle was still the same, and Godric took in the familiar sight with a faint smile. Salazar was standing slightly to the side and a step behind him, subconsciously adopting the familiar stance of his bodyguard in a reflection of their usual roles when they appeared together in public. He doubted the woman in front of them knew their aliases, but it didn't hurt to keep up appearances. Gabriel Winchester was quite a well-known pureblood in the States, but probably not in Britain. Which was just as well. They didn't need the influence his name brought, at least not yet.

 

The woman, Minerva McGonagall, was regarding them with a stern but gentle expression on her weathered face, and Godric recognized the steel in her gaze as she assessed the level of threat, if any, they posed. The tall, darkhaired man at her side was regarding them much more suspiciously, dark brown eyes sharp and keen as in particular Salazar was given an extensive once over.

 

McGonagall seemed to come to a conclusion, and she nodded curtly before looking at her companion, the one who had been introduced as Professor Snape, in question. The man's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and he jerked his chin in Salazar's direction, earning a cool look from the palehaired wizard in return. "You'll have to disarm yourself before entering the school. I'm sure you understand." Snape said in a slow, superior drawl, and Salazar met Godric's eyes for a short moment before inclining his head minutely. They had actually counted on this somewhat, and it had been a bit of a test, one they were both glad at least these two professors had passed.

 

"Certainly… Though I would advise you not to touch them if you value your life. I assume you have a place where I can store them safely?" The two wizards exchanged a heated, challenging glare, but before Snape could come back with a certain to be cutting remark, McGonagall smiled and nodded. "Of course, if you would please follow me."

 

They were led into a small chamber just outside of the main entrance, a room that had been specifically designed by them for just this purpose, and the two Founders shared an approving look. The room was heavily warded against students entering, and it was still outside of the main wards of the castle. This way, visitors could leave their weapons safe and unattended outside of the defenses of Hogwarts. Rowena had been the one who had insisted on it being built, and her precaution and foresight had saved them more than once.

 

Salazar stepped into the room and wordlessly shrugged out of his longcoat, undoing the fastenings of his gun rig, holsters and scabbards with the ease and speed of someone who had done this countless times before and could probably do it half asleep. Something Godric could attest to.

 

Salazar had foregone his usual battle robes to negate any suspicion they would provoke, but the Muggle tightfitting turtleneck and cargo pants were not enough to cover the entirety of the deep black and red runes and markings of the magical contract that were permanently and magically branded onto his pale skin and hide them completely from view. The part of his left forearm and the back of his hand, covered in the intricate marks of the contract, drew the immediate attention of both the professors, something they had expected and foreseen, and Salazar carefully put down his twin guns on the table before folding his arms across his chest. This effectively hid the marks from view, and McGonagall blinked in confusion but didn't comment. Magical contracts had been rare in their time, and it was even more rare now, but not completely unheard of. Besides, the nature of the contract was almost impossible to determine by just visual inspection, even for the most skilled of Contractors.

 

Snape wasn't as polite or considerate as McGonagall though, and the tall wizard snapped curtly. "Show me that."

 

The tall blackhaired wizard stepped toward Salazar briskly and grabbed the other man's wrist, but before he could do more than pull up the sleeve an inch, Salazar reversed the hold so he was now holding the professor's hand instead. His pale grey eyes were narrowed dangerously, and Godric tensed in confusion as Salazar growled. "You first."

 

McGonagall cried out in protest as Salazar twisted Snape's arm behind his back and pushed him down to lay flat on the floor quickly and effectively, and Snape grunted in surprise as his chest hit the floor and Salazar's knee was pushed none too gently into the small of his back. With an angry gesture, the pale wizard pulled back the sleeve of Snape's robe and Godric's blood ran cold at the sight of the Dark Mark, standing out in angry blacks and greens on the teacher's now bare forearm. Salazar must have felt the presence of the Contract when Snape had touched him… What the Hell was Dumbledore thinking?! Did the old man even know?

 

"Please! Stop this!" Salazar hissed in a sharp breath from where he crouched, still holding Snape immobile, but he did look up at McGonagall as she pleaded and found her wand trained on him with a steadiness that was contrary to the panic in her voice. Godric's respect for the woman grew instantly. "This is not what it looks like, Professor Snape is one of us, please, allow us to explain," she pleaded with an edge of desperation in her voice, and Salazar took a steadying breath before meeting McGonagall's pleading eyes. "Did you know about this? Do you trust this man?" he asked without letting up, and Snape wisely held completely still as McGonagall nodded after only a moment's hesitation. "Yes, yes I do, and so does the Headmaster. Severus…" She didn't finish the sentence, trailing off as Salazar released the other man wordlessly before gracefully getting to his feet and taking a step back. Godric knew better, knew that Salazar didn't trust the man or McGonagall's judgment at all, but it wouldn't do for them to throw away their chances at the teaching position, if they hadn't done so already. And Godric couldn't reaaly blame Salazar for reacting the way he had, not with the way he was trained to react to a threat. In fact, he had shown remarkable self-restraint…

 

They would deal with Severus Snape later, if necessary.

 

Snape got up from the floor slowly, brushing off his robes indignantly and radiating anger, but somehow he seemed to recognize the danger of provoking Salazar further for now, and he left the room with an impressive swirl of his heavy black robes.

 

How had someone like him become a teacher here? Had the standards for professors been lowered so badly…?

 

McGonagall released a nervous laugh, running a hand down the front of her robes as she lowered her wand from where it had still been trained at Salazar's forehead, and Godric could see her throat work as she swallowed almost convulsively. They had really unbalanced her, and Godric felt slightly bad about that if nothing else, even though he was determined to get to the bottom of this. "Forgive me, I reacted on instinct. Shall we..?" Salazar suggested gently after a few more moments of them just standing there looking at each other, and to her credit McGonagall instantly snapped out of it as she seemed to gather herself quickly. "Yes, yes, certainly… Please, I'll take you to the Headmaster now."

 

She whirled around and left almost as fast as Snape had, leaving the two Founders to follow her. The two men shared a significant look. Hogwarts had changed, and seemingly not entirely for the better. If the Headmaster allowed Death Eaters to teach… what else would they encounter? Assuming they got the position that was. Salazar fell in step behind him, and Godric relaxed slightly at his partner's familiar reassuring presence at his back. They would figure this out, all of it. Harry Potter, Voldemort, the Muggles…. But first things first. They had a job interview to get through...

 

He couldn't wait to meet this Dumbledore face to face.


End file.
